Madeira is expected to close 2026 with a new record of 349 cruise ship calls, while also preparing to surpass, for the first time, the 800,000 cruise passenger mark in a single year.
These two milestones, both new all-time highs for the Region, cap an exceptional year for the Madeira Regional Ports Administration (APRAM, SA), with the cruise industry having recorded five consecutive years of growth.
“Based on the latest forecasts and the berth bookings scheduled through to the end of the year, we are expecting close to 820,000 cruise passengers and nearly 350 cruise ship calls (349),” said APRAM Chairwoman Paula Cabaço, noting that 2025 had already been the best year ever for cruising in Madeira, with 746,000 passengers and 331 calls.
If confirmed, these figures will make 2026 a new record year for cruise activity in Madeira, representing growth of almost 10% in passenger numbers and 5.4% in cruise calls compared with 2025. The figures remain provisional and may still change before the end of the year, notably due to weather conditions or possible changes to ships’ itineraries.
The strong activity expected in October is also contributing to this growth, with 33 cruise calls already booked and more than 75,000 passengers expected. “Everything points to one of the strongest Octobers of recent years, which demonstrates the cruise lines’ confidence in Madeira as a destination and is also the result of the work of everyone who contributes, on a daily basis, to the quality of the experience of those who visit us,” Paula Cabaço stressed, highlighting the important role played by shipping agents, shore excursion companies and all the other sector partners who have been fundamental to this continued growth.
